Railway signal-lantern.



A. A. ZIEGLER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.1912.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

AM I IHII all . UNTTEU STA.

ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1911 6.

' Application filed June 6. 1912. Serial No. 701,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Railway Signal-Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic cir- Clllt-COIltIOllOl'S for electric-lamps, wherein two lamps are employed, one of which will be included in the circuit when the other burns out. The invention is especially applicable for use in railway signal lanterns employing incandescent electric-lamps, such for instance as represented in a divisional application Serial No. 740,773, as in such case. the provision of a second lamp is of great importance. In some railway-signal systems a direct current, and in others an alternating current is employed, and one of the objects of the invention is to construct and arrange the automatic circuit-controller so that it may be operated by eithercurlzent.

Another object of the invention the provision of a switch, an electro-magnet for operating it, circuit-wires, and connections, all of simple form and arranged in a simple manner for ell'ective operation.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a base-plate and lamps thereon and automatic circuitcontroller for the lamps. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. -1- is a detail of a portion of the base-plate showing one of the electric connections thereon. Fig. 5 is a detail of the supporting-frame for the automatic switch. Figs. 6. 7 and 8 are details of the core and pole-piece of the electro-magnet of the automatic-switch.

(4 represents the base-plate for the lamps having arranged thereon two lamp-sockets 7). c, to receive incandescent electric-lamps 7) and c.

(Z represents an electro-1nagnet arranged on the base-plate, {111(l1l its armature which controls a switch and constitutes the automatic means for turning on the lamp 0 in case the lamp 1) fails. One member of the switch. as c. is. borne by the armature, and the other member, as c, is arranged above the member 6 and is secured to a block 6 of insulating material.

The member 6. as here shown, consists of a short strip of conducting material fitted into a slot formed in the end of the armature,

tracted. To electrically connect the lamps and automatic-switch, the means shown par ticularly in Fig. 3 may-be employed, wherein f represents a conducting-plate extended part way across and secured to the baseplate a, to which both lamps b and 0 are connected; f a circuit-wire leading from the lamp-socket b to one side of the electromagnet (Z; f a circuit-wire leading from the other side of said electro-magnet (Z. to the switclrmember e; f a bent strip or plate leading from said switclrmember e to a plate 7 arranged on the base-plate; f a circuit-wire leading from the lamp-socket c to a binding-screw 7 on the supportingplate (Z of the electro-magnet (Z and its pivoted armature cl, whereby the current is conducted to the armatureand thence to the switch-member e. When the circuit is closed by turning on the lamp Z) the current flows through the lamp 7) and electromagnet (Z, causing the former to glow and the latter to attract its armature d. When the armature is attracted the switch 0. c, is opened and the lamp 0 is disconnected from the circuit. In case the lamp 7) burns out the circuit of the electro-magnet (Z is opened and its armature (Z is permitted to move away from the electro-magnet, whereupon the switch 6, e, closes the circuit of the lamp 0 causing said lamp to glow.

For direct current work the electro-magnet (1 may be of any usual or suitable construction, but for alternating current work an especially constructed electro-magnet is employed, whereby he armature is held from repeatedly vibrating or chattering. This form of electro-magnet is shown particularly in Figs. 3. 6, 7 and 8.

The magnet-coil is placed on a core 6, which is slitted longitudinally, as at 2", to provide for a quick discharge, and a polepiece is attached at one end of said core consisting of a flat bar 1' bent at right angles or thereabout, to extend forward so as to terminate in the plane of the opposite end of the core. The forward end of said polepiece is slotted longitudinally to form two arms 7' and i and each arm is slotted lonllO gitudinally from its end inward for a c0nsiderable distance, to provide for a quick discharge. One of said arms, as 1", for instance, has arranged on it a coil 1', of fine magnet-wire. This coil is isolated and acts to cause the armature to lag sulliciently to prevent its repeated retraction when the electro-magnetis placed under the influence of an alternating current. yet permits said.

armature to he influenced in a direct current although under the inlluence of either current said armature will be permitted to move away from the electro-magnct when the circuit is opened.

The railway signal lantern herein referred to forms the suhject-matter of my divisional application #7l0,773, filed January 8, 1913.

I claim 1. In an automatic circuit controller for electric lamps, a base plate. two incandescent electric lamps arranged thereon, an electroinagnet supported on the base plate, an armature for the electro-magnet, a switch including a spring element and an element carried by the armature, a circuit for one lamp including a conductor leading from the lamp to the electro-magnet, a conductor leading from the electro-magnet to the spring element of the switch, and a conductor leading from the spring element to a terminal, a. circuit for the other lamp including a conductor leading from the lamp to the armature, and a common conducting plate electrically connecting both lamps and forming a terminal therefor.

2. An automatic circuit controller for electric lamps. a base plate. two incandescent electric lamps arranged thereon, an electromagnet, an armature therefor forming a switch element, an independent switch element, the iiidependent switch element forming a portion of a circuit conductor for one of the lamps beyond the electro-magnet, said electro-magnet being in series circuit with the other element and with the independent switch element. the position of the armature controlling the use of the independent switch element as a circuit conductor.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED A. ZIEGLER.

\Vitnesses B. J. Noyes, H. B. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

